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EXCELLENCE, ambition and a commitment to education were celebrated last week when Diageo awarded scholarships to recent graduates and students progressing into third-level education.

The Finbarr Flood Scholarship Awards programme supports post-Leaving Cert school leavers and mature students from schools around the Diageo brewery in Dublin who show strong potential and want to pursue further education.

The awards, which are now in their 29th year, are held in honour of the late Finbarr Flood, the former Managing Director of the Guinness Ireland Group, who founded the brewery’s scholarship programme.

The Finbarr Flood Scholarships provides the winning students with a laptop or a bursary to help with their studies and third level education.

Since the scholarship programme was founded in 1990, the scheme has supported more than 160 students in the locality.

The winning students and their families gathered in the Guinness Storehouse for a special celebratory ceremony with the family of the late Mr Flood and Diageo Ireland representatives.

Paul O’Toole from St John’s received the Mia Delaney Award for Leaving Cert Applied and Louise Dolan won the Mature Student Award.

In recognition of the legacy created by Dr Flood, the programme includes a special additional bursary – the Finbarr Flood Award for Outstanding Achievement – for the awardee who has shown exceptional commitment to their own growth and those around them.

It was Nickole Borja from St John’s who was presented with this award by Anne Flood, widow of Finbarr Flood, a special guest at the awards.

Speaking about the winning student, Diageo’s Aidan Crowe, Operations Director at the St James’s Gate Brewery, said: “Nickole came to Ireland with his family from the Philippines 12 years ago.

“He has shown huge leadership potential since first year, where he began to give Maths grinds to peers at lunchtime and was an excellent member of the student council throughout his six years in the school.

“He was involved in many school initiatives and was responsible for establishing anti-bullying committee and led workshops for younger students.

“He has proved to be an exceptional role model to his fellow students and has continuously shown a positive attitude. He exemplifies the very core values on which the scholarship was founded.”

Finbarr Flood served as the MD of Guinness from 1989 to 1994 after joining as a messenger boy in the 1950’s.

Finbarr emphasised that throughout his rise to the top of the Guinness organisation, the support and generosity of mentors and colleagues was essential in his being able to take advantage of the opportunities that arose.

He believed that those who are able to do so, be it in business or in public life, have both a role and a responsibility in supporting all those who are facing adversity.